Electric passenger register and recorder



L t e e h S s t e e h S 4 S T L L B J (No Model.)'

ELECTRIC PASSENGER REGISTER AND RECORDER.

Patented May 28, 1895.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

. J. W; ELLIS. ELECTRIC PASSENGER REGISTER AND RECORDER.

Patented Ma m: moms rrrzas w. FHOTO-UTHO, WASHWQTON. o. c,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet3.

J. W. ELLIS. ELECTRIC PASSENGER REGISTER AND RECORDER. No. 540,090.Pagented May 28, 1895.

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J. W. ELLIS. ELECTRIC PASSENGE REGISTER AND RRcoRnRR.

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fijeder' 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH \VM. ELLIS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC PASSENGER REGISTER AND RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,090, dated May 28,1895.

Application filed January 12, 1895- Serial No. 534,644:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosEPH WILLIAM ELLIS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Albany, in the State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Passenger Registersand Recorders, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to means for automatically tallying passengers asthey enter and leave a railway car or other public vehicle for thepurpose of preserving a reliable indication of the number of suchpassengers and the duration of their travel, as a check on conductors;and itconsists in a novel electric registering and recording systemshowing thenuinberof passengers carried between given stations asdetermined by the times of arrival at and departure from such stations,and in certain novel combinations of electrical and mechanical devices,hereinafter described and claimed.

Four sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic end view, partly in section,showing a railwaycar provided with said registering and recordingsystem. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation confined to saidsystem, showing the parts enlarged, with the planes of section at rightangles to that of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of thesecond step projected from Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are diagramsconfined to the registering devices, showing successive positions of theparts of what is hereinafter termed the step mechanism. Fig. 7 is aperspective view showing certain details, and Fig. 8 is a diagramshowing a face view of the clock and sectional, rear and edge views,respectively, of the two combined registers and recorders enlarged fromFig. 2.

The same letters and numbers refer to the same or like parts in all thefigures.

My electric registering and recording system is composed of one or moreelectric batteries, two being shown in the drawings at A and B; astep-mechanism, O, at each entrance to be guarded, which makes andbreaks the electric registering circuit; Off and On combined registersand recorders (so marked on the drawings) and hereinafter termedregisters, preferably of one and the same construction; and a clock, D,which makes and breaks a recording circuit common to both registers;together with metallic-circuitforming wires and electrical connectionshereinafter more specifically referred to.

The battery or batteries A and B may be of any approved lnake, andlocated in any convenient place or places within or beneath the car.

Each step-mechanism O comprises two or more stiff plates movablevertically and covering successive steps. Four are shown in the drawingsnumbered respectively 1, 2, 3, and a, beginning at the bottom. Thesestepplates, as they are hereinafter termed, are depressed by the feet ofthe passengers getting on and off, and are re-eievated by Springs 8, assoon as they are relieved from pressure.

In the specific arrangement represented by the drawings, to which theremainder of this description will be confined for clearness, thestep-plates 1 and 2 are made to move simultaneously with each other by arigid connection a Fig. 1, and the succeeding pair, 3 and 1, areconnected with each other in like manner by a rigid connection a Fig. 1;the electri-- cal devices connected directly with the Off register beingarranged beneath said stepplate 2, while those connected with the Onregister are arranged beneath said step-plate 3. Said rigid connection acarries a cam I) coacting with one end of a lever c fulcrumed at d, andsaid rigid connection a carries a rigid arm a, which engages with a camb Fig. 1, on a lever c fulcrumed at 61 Fig. 2. Said levers c and 0' actrespectively on slides e and 6 Figs. 2 to 6, which carry respectivelycopper contact-pieces fand f These contact-pieces are insulated from theslides a e as at 9, Fig. 3, while an electrical connection is preservedbetween themselves and the respective legs of a circuit, hereinafterdescribed, by means of stiff wires or contactbars h and h upon whichsaid contactpiecesfand f slide. Said contact-bars h and 71 and anopposing pair of yielding contactbars it are rigidly fastened in theend-walls of recesses j j in the wooden steps, beneath the step-plates 3and 2 respectively, and there insulated as shown at 73, Fig. 2. Springdetents l and E at the bottoms of the steprecesses j and engage withnotches in the bottoms of the slides e and e to retain them temporarilyin the positions to which they are moved by the levers c and 0 as shownat Z' in Figs. 4 to 6; and trippingleversmand m pivoted at m" and actedon by the levers c and c depress said detents to release the,

endof each key is attached to the upper part,

ofthe key by ahorizontal pivot 5. The swinging movement of saidlowerendis limited by a step 6. A spring 7 operates to retain said lower endnormally in line with said upper part so as to act as a pusher; and ahorizontal stud-pin 8 is carried by the key and electrically separatedfrom said upper part of the key by insulation 9. Said-pins 8projectback: ward, as shown in Fig, 3,'a ndare acted on by horizontallyprojecting tappets q and (fearriedv by said slides e and, e insulatedtherefrom and constructed in common with toe and heel'projections,marked 10 and 11 inFig. 7. The function ofthese tappets isi'n certaincases to coact with saidpins 8 so as tolift andhold said lower ends ofthe keys 0 and 0 clearof the detents 1'1 as at q in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.In other cases. they passabove the pins 8 as at g in Fig. 5, and permitthe keys toact as pushers, as above described. I)epending flanges 12 and13, Fig. 1, at front and rear, operate to exclude dust, snow andobstructions from beneath each of the step,- plates 1, 2, 3, and 4, andassist to stiffen them; and depending stud-pins 14, carried by thestep-plates, and guided by vertical holesl t Fig. 2, bored in the woodensteps, confine the step-plates to vertical movement. Aprons 15, Fig. 1,protect, the mechanical connections and motion-transmitting devices infront between the steps; and aback plate 16, Fig. 1', prevents access tothem from behind thesteps.

The clockD is an ordinary time-piece ,ofap; propriate make, having itsdial-plater, Figs. 2.and 8, provided with. metallic contact-points s atIII, VI, IX, and XII, suitably insulated fromthe works of the clock,audits minute hand t adapted to coact with said contact pointssuccessively to make -and break an electric circuit every fifteenminutes the, worksof the clock being suitably insulated. Asclockssofitted or constructed ,for various purposes areold and, well known, itis not; considered necessary to show such insulation or to more'fullyshow or describesaid circuit making and breaking devices, which may beof an approved description. i

The construction common to the On and OE registers as aforesaid is shownin Figs. 2 and 8, which see. Each register is provided with a pair ofelectric terminals P N electrically connected with the helixes of anelectro-magnet 71. within the register casing. The armature of thelatter is mechanically attached to a leverc; which carriesa registeringpawlw and its spring 17. A ratchet-wheelx is turned step by step by saidpawl 10, and carries by its arbor 18. an index-hand y in front of asuitably graduated dial-plate z; and said dial-plate and index-hand areexposed to 'view,"as in full lines in Fig. 2, by means of a 'glassfacerplate 19 forming partof the register casing; said pawl-carryinglever o and ratchet wheelac being so proportioned that at each electricimpulse said index-hand is turned forward one point, or so as toregister an additionahunit. Each register is further provided, with asecond pair of electric terminals PN', Fig. 2; a pair of brushes p n,Fig. 8, supported by a brush-holder 20 of insulating material andelectrically connected with said terminals P" and N respectively;

a pair of continuous electric contacts a b,

Fig. 8, in theshape of concentric rings, carried by the back of saidratchet-wheel or, together with aninterposedinsulating ring 21; astud-shaft 22, Fig. 8, ,for said ratchet-Wheel arbor 18, the latterbeing made hollow for the purposes of the mechanism now being described;acircular disk 23, within a central opening 24, Fig. 8, in thedial-plate z, interposedbetween the front end of'said arbor 18 and theindex-handy, and, connected therewith by a shouldered screw 25 embracedin front of its shoulder by a slot26 in said indexhand; anelectro-magnet 2.7, havingits helixes electrically connected with saidcontacts a b, and carried by the back of said disk 23 so as to revolvetherewith in unison with said index-hand; a rigid arm 28, projectingrearwardly from said index-hand through a slot 29v in said disk 23, andhaving the armature of said magnet 27 mechanically attached thereto;clips 30 for holding an annular record-card R surrounding said centralopening 24 in, the dial-plate z, and attached to the front of saiddial-plate; a marker 31, shown in, the form of a thumb-screw bored tohold anever-point lead, which is carried by the index-hand y; andamovable frame 32 for the glass face plate 25, to give access to theindex-handy for turning it to zero, and to the record-card it forremoviugit and substituting a fresh blank, at the end of each trip. Suchblanks should be of moderately stiff paper printed witha reducedfacsimile of the gradnations on the dial-plate 2, as shown in Fig.

2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and can be readily slipped under thefree end .of the index-hand y and behind the marker 31, and sprung intoplacebehind the clips 30.

The electric circuits are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5,6, and 8, and arecompleted by suitable conductors, hereinafter termed wires, as follows:Wires w and 20 extend from the keys IIO and o to the respective poles ofthe battery A. Wires ll/ and 10 extend thence to the terminal P of theOn register and the terminal N of the Off register, respectively. Fromthe terminal Pot the Otf register and the terminal N of the On registerwires '105 and 10 extend to the contact-bars 77, and h respectively; anda wire 10 connects the contact-bars and t with each other, completingwhat may be termed the step circuits. From the positive pole of thebattery B, (Fig. 2) a wire 10 extends to the terminal P of the Onregister. The terminal N of this register is electrically connected by awire to (through the insulated works of the clock D) with the clock-handif; said contact-points s on the clock dial are connected by wires 10with the terminal P of the Off register; and the terminal N of thelatter is connected by a wire to with the negative pole of said batteryB, completing the clock-circuit. The wires 10 and w are of greaterresistance than the other wires of the step-circuits, being for exampleof annealed, soft iron while the other wires are of copper.

The parts of the step-mechanism O are shown in their normal positions inFigs. 1 and In this condition of this mechanism, and with theminute-hand 25 between two of the contact points 5' of the clock D, allthe electric circuits are open, and all parts of the system except theclock-movement are at rest.

The entrance of a passenger, illustrated by Figs. 4, 5, and 6, producesthe following effects: By stepping on either of the lower stepplates 1and 2, the passengers weight depresses both, owing to their rigidmechanical connection a, and their motion is transmitted by the cam Z)to the lever c, and by the latter to the slide e, interlocking itsnotched end with the catch-end of the detent Z and at the same timebringing the contact-pieoef into a position vertically beneath thecontact-plate p preceded by the tappet g which turns up the lower end ofthe key 0, leaving the parts beneath the step-plate 3 as shown in Fig 4.The effects of this movement upon the parts beneath the stepplate 2 arethe bringing together of the contact-bar i and the contactplate 21 andthe depression of the detent Z by the key 0 as in Fig. 4, for purposeswhich will presently be explained. As an entering passenger graduallytransfers his weight from step-plate 1 or step-plate 2 to step-plate orstep-plate l, said step-plates 3 and a are depressed,as shown in Fig. 5.The ettect of the depression of these step-plates on the electricaldevices beneath said stepplate 3 is to simultaneously close twoelectrical contacts between the contact-plate p and contact-piecefon theone hand, and between said contact-plate p and the contact-bar 2 on theother hand. The effects on the devices beneath the step-plate 2 are asfollows: The depression of the step-plates 3 and at, through their rigidmechanical connection a its arm a and the cam 5 actuates the lever 0 andcauses the latter to throw the slide e into the position in which it isshown in Fig. 5; but the latter is not fastened in this position owingto the previous depression of the detent a by the key 0 An electricalcontact is unavoidably closed however at f p' but is counteracted by thecontact previously formed between the contact-plate p and the contactbart and, owing to the greater conductivity of the wires w, and 1127, theelectric current flows from the battery A, through said wire w, the key0 contact-plate p contact-bar 2' wire 10 contact-bar 2', contact-plate19, key 0 and wire 10 back to the battery, without any effect on eitherof the registers. lVhile the passengers weight is partially supported bythe step-plates 1 and 2 and partially by stepplates 3 and 4: as above,all the step'plates are depressed as in Fig. 5. As the passengers weightis gradually elevated from the step plates 1 and 2 these step-platesrise, as in Fig. 6, breaking the electric contacts at 19 and at p 2'beneath the step-plate 2. Said electric contacts beneath the step-plate3 remaining closed, the current now flows from the battery A through thewire 20 to the terminal P ofthe On register, Figs. 2 and 8, thencethrough the helixes of the connected registering magnet u, and proceedsfrom said magnet to the terminal N connected therewith, and, through thewire to, contact-bar 7t, contactplates f and 19, key 0 and wire 10 backto the battery. When said registering magnet to is so energized, itsarmature is attracted, and motion is transmitted, through the lever t)to which said armature is attached, the pawl w carried by said lever,the ratchet-wheel m rotated by said pawl, its arbor 18, and the disk 23rotating therewith, to the index-hand 1 of said On register, causing thelatter to in dicate or register the entering passenger as an additionalunit on the dial-plate z. The current last described will continue toflow until the step-plates 1 and 2, their rigid connections a, the camZ) and the lever 0 have regained their position of rest as in Fig. 2when by the contact of said lever c with the heel end of the trippinglever in said tripping-lever is caused to depress the detent Z,releasing the slide 6, and permitting it to be retracted by the springn, which breaks said contact at p f by the retraction of thecontact-piece f with the slide 6. Finally, as said entering passengerfrees said step-plates 3 and 4, and the latter are re-elevated by theirsprings s, the key 0 straightens out by the action of its spring 7, Fig.7, the slide e and the lever 0 return to their positions of rest, andthe step mechanism is ready for another actuation by anotherpassengergetting on or one getting 011.

A departing passenger must of necessity first depress the step-plates 3and 4;, bringing the step-mechanism substantially to the conditionrepresented by Fig. 6, except that, the step-plates 1 and 2 beingoriginally elevated, and the parts beneath said step-plate 3 being inthe positions represented in Fig. 2, the tap- IIO pet g turns up thelower endof the ke'y o as at 0, Fig. 4, so as to permitt-he slide e 'tointerlock at oncewith:thedetentl preparatory to the succeedingregistering contacts, and the respective step-circuits.are-open at f p,-f 2 pfland 9 As theweight of thepassenger becomes divided between thetwo pairsofi step-plates, as: in Fig. 5; all the electric con-v tacts ofthe step-mechanism being closed, the electric current, taking the pathof least resistance, again flows from the battery A through the wire to,key 0 ,.contact-plate p contact-bar i wirewflcontact-bari, contact plate19, key 0; andwireufi, so as to prevent a false actuation of. eitherregister, and as soon asthe passengerfrees the upper stepplates 3 and4,.as in Fig. 4, the current flows from the battery A through-thewir'e'w tothe terminal N of the OE register, and thence through thehelixes of itsregistering magnet to, its 1 terminal P, thewireywficontact-bar 723 contact-piece f contact plate*p key '0 and wirew back to the battery the energized registering magnetuof the OEregister-at tractingits armature,- andzmotionbeingltransmitted therefromt'o the. index-hand y of this register in I the manner beforedescr-ibediwith reference tothe registering of an: entering passenger bythe On register, so "as to"register the departing passenger as-a'nadditional unit on the dial 21 of said: Off register. Finally, as tothis operation; the departing passenger frees the step-plates-"land 2,and the parts again return to' their positions of rest as in Fig. 2.

Should an entering-passengerstep on either of the step-plates l andZwhilone is still supported by astep 'plate. 3 or step=plate4 the firsteffect will be asillustrated-by- Fig; 5 and before described; and; whensaid step= plates 3 and 4'are'freed,-their re-elevation by their springss,- accompanied by the'retraction' of the lever 0 is' followedimmediately by the' retraction of the circuit-closing slide e ow'- ingto the pusher action of the-key 0 on'the' detent'l as in said Fig. 5.Otherwise there would be a false registration of the second passcngeronthe Off register. In likemanner any false registration upon the Onregister of a departing passenger closelyfollowin g another is preventedby the pusheraction' of the key 0 on thed'eten-tl. Prov-isionwill bemadein customary manner to prevent two passengers passing over the stepssideiby side or in opposite directions at one and'the same time.-

Whenever theminute-ha-nd 6, Figs. 2 and 8,-

of the clock D reaches one of the contact pointss onthe clock-dial 1*,an electric circuit is closed through both registers; thecurrent' theminute-hand t, the contact point s, the" wires to theterminal P, Fig. 2,of the O'ff register, the helixes of its recording magnet :tering orleaving; as the-case may be, during a given time-period.- Gonsequently,if the train arrives at a certain station at 3.25 for example; as inFig. 8g the dial-marks between the two marks '33 correspondingrespectively w-ith 3.l5'and 3z30 on-the record-ca'rdsof the respectiveregistersrwill indicate the number of passengers entering and leaving atsuch station.

The levers; c and c ma'y be retracted by springs .9 8 Fig. 6, or thecams b and b 'm'ay begrooved or' slotted so as to' bedouble-acting,-'asmay be preferred. Themechanical devices"for transmitting motion to theslides a and'e asa whole, together with other mechanical and'electricaldetails; admit of considerable' modification.- A system otherwisesimilar to: the-:one herein described may be arranged for registering;passengers only as they get on-or as they get off; and other likemo'difications will snggestthemselves to those skilledinthear't. 1

The'within dcscribed system without material modification may'alsohoused at the entrances andexits', either'or both,of ferries, placeso'fpublic am usement, andthe like, with any required increasein thecapacity of the registeringfland rec'ording de'vices.

Having thus described my said improvement', Iclai-m as my invention anddesire to patent underthis specification- 1. An electric registering andrecording system comprising a series of vertically movable'step-plates;mechanical connections and motion transmitting devices'acted on by saidstep-plates, circuit closers controlled by said transmitting devices,electric circuits closed by the depression of said step-plates subjectto such control, two registers havingelectromagnetic actuators incircuit with the respectwe circuitclosers, and provided with record--cards markers and marker-actuating electromagnets,-a clockprovided withcircuit-closing devices including a series of electric contacts, and anelectric circuit connecting all these contacts with the electro-magnetslast named of both registers, substantially as hereinbefore specified.-

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of averticallymovable step-plate carrying a downwardly projecting key, acontact-platecarried by said key, a slide carrying a contact-piecemovable beneath said contactplate, a contact-bar in per manent electricconnection with said contactpiece, an electric circuit including saidcontact-plate and said contact-bar, and an electric register in saidcircuit.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of avertically movable step-plate ca *rying a downwardly projecting key, acontact-plate carried by said key, a slide carrying a contact-piecemovable beneath said contact-plate, a detent fastening said slidetemporarily in effective position, a contact-bar in permanent electricconnection with said contact-piece, an electric circuit including saidcontact-plate and said contactbar, an electric register in said circuit,and mechanical devices for shifting said slide to close said circuit andfor tripping said detent to open it.

4:. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofsuccessive vertically movable step-plates, circuit-closing devicesbeneath each, an electric circuit closed under certain circumstanceswhen both step-plates are depressed, two electric circuits of greaterresistance controlled by said circuit-closing devices respectively, andOn and Off registers included in the respective circuits last named.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofsuccessive vertically movable step-plates, circuit-closing devicesbeneath each, comprising downwardly projecting keys carried by thestep-plates and provided with contact-plates, slides carryingcontact-pieces movable beneath said contactplates, and contact-bars inpermanent electric connection with said contact-pieces, electriccircuits including said contact-plates and said contact-bars, On and Oifregisters in said circuits respectively, and mechanical devicestransmitting motion from each of said step-plates to the circuit-closingslidebeneath the other step-plate.

G. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofsuccessive vertically movable step-plates, circuit closing devicesbeneath each, comprising downwardly projecting keys carried by the stepplates and provided withcontact-plates, slides carrying contact-piecesmovable beneath said contactplates, contact bars in permanent electricconnection with said contact-pieces, and contact-bars projecting fixedlybeneath said contact-pieces, an electric circuit including thecontact-bars last named and said contactplates, two electric circuits ofgreater resistance including said contact-plates and the contact-barsfirst named, and On and Off registers in said circuits of greaterresistance, respectively.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofsuccessive pairs of vertically movable step-plates, rigid mechanicalconnections between the step-plates of each pair, circuit-closingdevices beneath one step of each pair, electric circuits controlled bysaid circuit-closing devices respectively, and On and Off registersincluded in the respective circuits.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofsuccessive keys having pivoted pusher ends, detents acted on by saidpusher ends, and circuitclosing slides so freed for retraction, withelectric circuits closed by the respective slides, and On and OKregisters in said circuits respectively.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, ofagraduated record-card, a revoluble and endwiseqnovable index-handcarrying a marker, mechanism for revolving said index-hand step by stepto register successive units and to record the same, and aclock-controlled mechanism for instantaneously reciprocating said handendwise periodically to indicate by said marker the limits of giventime-periods.

10. The combination,substantially as here inbefore specified, of agraduated record-card, an indexhand carrying a marker, actuatingmechanism for moving said indeX-hand step by step to register successiveunits, electromagnetic mechanism for reciprocating said handperiodically, an open electric circuit including the helixes of saidelectromagnetic mechanism, and a clock distinct from said actuatingmechanism and provided with a series of circuit-closing contacts in saidelectric circuit.

11. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of anannular record-card, an index-hand revolving concentrically therewithand carrying a marker, mechanism for revolving said indexhand step bystep, electro-tnagnetic mechanism revolving with the index-hand forreciprocating it endwise, an open electric circuit including the helixesof said electro-magnetic mechanism, and a circuit-closing clock in saidelectric circuit.

12. The combination of an annular recordcard, an index-hand revolvingconcentrically therewith and carrying a marker, mechanism for revolvingsaid index-hand including a wheel on the same arbor provided with a pairof concentric electric contacts, electro-magnetic mechanism forreciprocating said indexhand end wise, revolving therewith and havingits helixes electricallyconnected with said contacts, a pair of electricbrushes coacting with said contacts, an open electric circuit includingsaid brushes, and a circuit-closing device in said electric circuit,substantially as hereinbefore specified.

J. WM. ELLIS. \Vitnesses:

J AS. L. EwiN, Gno. M. WHITNEY.

ICC.

